GENEVA, Aug 18 (dpa) -- The UN human rights office on Monday called on government forces and Houthi rebels in Yemen to immediately halt attacks on each other following the latest escalation in the conflict.
"I urge all parties to halt immediately any actions that risk returning Yemen to full-scale conflict," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said.
"Attacks on civilian infrastructure risk further deepening civilian suffering at a time when at least 18 million Yemenis are already food insecure. These attacks must end immediately," he added.
The conflict between Yemen's Saudi-backed government and the Iran-allied Houthi militia has intensified again in recent weeks, marking the worst escalation since an informal truce took effect in 2022.
Fighting flared up again amid the Iran war, while the Houthis have also repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, an important route for international trade.
Türk said at least 17 civilian casualties had been reported in government-controlled areas since August 6 as a result of Houthi attacks, while two were reported in Houthi-controlled areas in late July.
He urged both sides to refrain from attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Yemeni government forces said they had killed or wounded dozens of Houthi fighters in attacks across several parts of the country over the weekend. The strikes followed Houthi attacks that, according to the government, hit civilian targets in Yemen and also caused deaths.
--NNN-dpa